2012: Volume 6, Number 1 m ichiga N c hapter of the a merica N Society of l a N d S cape a rchitect S
Letter from the president
I trust you are all enjoying a welcome, though extremely early, spring and feeling reinvigorated for 2012. I continue to marvel at all of the hard work and enthusiasm of the Michigan chapter ASLA Executive Committee, and the many programs and projects that are underway.
April is Landscape Architecture Month and we have several important events planned. On Thursday, April 12, the Emerging Professionals Committee will host a screening of “Women in the Dirt” at MSU. This is a great documentary of the contribution of women landscape architects and should not be missed. On Thursday, April 26, coinciding with Frederick Law Olmsted’s birthday, another public awareness day is scheduled. If you are interested in participating in the public awareness campaign, contact Craig Hondorp who is facilitating this effort.
May is also shaping up to be a busy month. We are scheduled to hold Lobby Day for Michigan Landscape Architects on May 1st at the Capitol in Lansing. I invite all landscape architects to attend and discuss important legislation related to our profession. If you have not attended Lobby Day in the past and find the idea of it a little intimidating (as I once did), please
The Grand Traverse Commons, Making History Again by nate G. elkins, asL a
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contact me and I will personally accompany you and assist you in the process of meeting with your legislator. The importance of this for our profession cannot be emphasized enough.
Later in May, three professionals and one student will travel to Washington, DC, for National Advocacy Day for landscape architects. Similar to Lobby Day in Michigan, we will meet with our national legislators and discuss policies and programs that are important to our profession.
Many more exciting events are coming up and planning is underway for the MiASLA conference this fall. Don’t forget to check out MiASLA on Facebook and Twitter for the latest information on upcoming events and how you can get involved. Please enjoy this issue of SITES, and as always, let me know if you have any questions about MiASLA or volunteer opportunities.
Christy Summers, LLA, ASLA President, Michigan Chapter of ASLA
oN the coVer: Children and families enjoying Easter Sunday on the Historic Front Lawn of Building 50 at the Grand Traverse Commons. Photo Credit: IDF Studio
SITES is published quarterly by Michigan ASLA. Cover printed on 50% recycled paper. Text printed on 100% recycled paper.
Reshaping Detroit: Community Driven Public Space by fai foen, a ssociate asL a
Integrating Accommodation for Biking Brings New Challenges for Landscape Architecture by Michael Arvidson, Affiliate ASLA
12 c a L endar of events
Landscape Architect Legacy Series: Joanne M. Westphal, FASLA by doug boyer, student asL a
Student Spotlight: caroline bergelin, student asL a and Kris hall, student asL a
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Landscape Architecture Public Awareness Campaign April 26, 2012 visit asla.org and michiganasla.org
Save the Date!
the grand traverse commons, making history a gain
by Nate G. Elkins, ASLA
Cottageview Drive Active Streets Plan
A breathtaking blend of historical buildings, beautiful rolling hills, a century old arboretum of trees, state of the art nursing home and popular public space; mixed with trendy shops, restaurants, professional offices, living spaces, schools, a yoga studio and a high end salon are just the beginning of the place Northern Michigan calls The Grand Traverse Commons. Nestled in the ever-growing town of Traverse City, Michigan, The Grand Traverse Commons is a place rich in history and on the verge of making it again.
This remarkable reuse project stops nothing short of ambitious. The Minervini Group (the developer that purchased 63-acres within The Commons, now referred to as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons); has made great strides to turn this once controversial landmark into a cherished space. The Village is one of the largest, historic preservation and adaptive reuse redevelopments in the country. A true “common” space for people to live, work, learn, and play.
The main attraction in the over 600-acre Grand Traverse Commons are the historic buildings that make up the once prevalent Northern Michigan Asylum, The Traverse City State Hospital. The property was originally purchased in 1882 and the asylum construction began shortly after. The Kirkbride Plan was the main influence on the design of the hospital. The Kirkbride approach to mental healthcare was based on the belief that an individual and their surroundings was an essential part of the therapeutic healing process; an approach to design that landscape architects
continue to employ today. Now 125 years later, the element and nature of the Kirkbride design is still prevalent in the preserved buildings and the tranquil environment of the mature arboretum and surrounding campus.
By the 1980’s, the aged and then under-used space of the Traverse City State Hospital was under constant scrutiny and threat of being demolished. In 1989, the once self-sustaining, prevalent hospital closed its doors entirely. Multiple attempts by the State to demolish the historic buildings of the old State Hospital were overturned by suggestions of the community to preserve the property. The uphill battle to maintain the property really began in 1992 when the Grand Traverse Commons Redevelopment Corporation (GTCRC) was created under Michigan’s Urban Redevelopment Corporation Act (Public Act 250) to implement a Master Plan, acquire the property, and oversee its redevelopment.
A Design Team with a Vision
The buildings were slowly rotting and the land was neglected. There was hodgepodge renovation and some development was conducted throughout The Commons, but there was never a collective thought process as to how to proceed with the renovations and development of the old hospital grounds. It was not until 2001 when The Minervini Group purchased the historic site and a new master plan was drawn up when great strides began to occur.
“Sometimes we overlook the opportunity to reuse or recycle spaces, especially in an area like northern Michigan where there is ample space to build out. The real opportunities lie in the established architecture; the developer saw this potential and The Village at Grand Traverse Commons was born,” explains Nate Elkins, principal and landscape architect of Influence Design Forum Studio (IDF Studio), a local planning and design firm that is consulting with The Minervini Group on master planning for the 63-acre site within The Commons.
The Village at Grand Traverse Commons campus consists of 24 buildings and Historic Building 50, which approaches 400,000 square feet of mixed-use living, offices, and retail space. Building 50 is over two-thirds renovated while reuse of the remaining space and outbuildings in The Village are still in either the early planning stages or available for development. Rich in history, the atmosphere of The Village puts one back in time and gives you a slightly eerie feeling as you roam the halls of the buildings and the vast grounds that were once filled with over 3,600 mentally ill patients. The experience of the place is half the excitement that visitors, employees and residents get when spending time in The Village. As the adaptive reuse of the buildings moves closer to completion, the landscape architect has been charged with the task of creating solutions that will further strengthen the relationship between the historic buildings and surrounding campus.
Elkins explains, “The most challenging part to overcome on a development of this scale and complexity is trying to coordinate the multiple projects that are ongoing.”
Moving Forward
The landscape architect is currently working with the developer to complete an Active Streets Plan for the main east-west street that connects all of the varying districts of The Village. The goal of the Plan is to transform the street into a public space that provides opportunity for increased social interaction, leisure-time activities, improved economic development, and stronger connectivity. The creation of an Active Streets Plan and turning the slow-moving streets of The Village into a pedestrian-friendly public space where walkers, bikers and vehicles all get along, sharing the space with adequate room for everyone is just the first step in re-creating The Village campus.
The second phase of master planning and design for The Village includes several moving parts. The first being phase one streetscape implementation project, site specific planning for development projects, and work with the greater Grand Traverse Commons community to strengthen the neighborhood “brand” by encouraging a collaborative effort to improve shared and underutilized outdoor spaces.
Local park advocate and public space blogger Gary Howe supports the efforts and comments that, “Creating successful outdoor public spaces continued on page 4
for the community is important, it brings us together in an environment where we all belong
The Village and the greater Grand Traverse Commons is doing just that. By creating popular “People Space,” strengthening the overall identify and brand, and inserting principles of placebased design, the diversity of the campus is growing and the access of the space is getting more convenient. Current designs creatively integrate both the built and natural influences of the existing site and incorporates people-friendly spaces while framing the environment for further development of the landscape and the remaining vacant buildings. By taking a true urban design approach to The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, the plans aim to provide strategic placement in relation to the established buildings, rerouting of the transportation framework, and ensuring connections between people, places, movement and flow, of the campus.
The Grand Traverse Commons is truly a unique project – a sprawling adaptive reuse and brownfield redevelopment that in a little over a decade has already become a vibrant place in northwest lower Michigan. It is a place that is using sustainability as a stronghold to thread together the campus fabric while preserving the nature of Northern Michigan, while serving as a neighborhood sanctuary and metropolitan park.
For more information contact Nate Elkins at IDF Studio (231) 944-4114
Images: IDF Studio and The Minervini Group
Over 3,000 people walk the streets in The Village for the annual Traverse Colantha Walker Festival which celebrates the Traverse City State Hospital’s World Champion Cow.
reshaping detroit: community driven public Space
by Fai Foen, Associate ASLA
In a city facing a $9.5 million budget deficit and an existing system of 4,763 acres of municipal park space, it might be surprising to hear that community driven public space is on the rise in Detroit, MI. After half a century of extreme population decline, a static park network that remains underfunded and present day vacant land rates at 30%, the resulting fragmented urban fabric has created a lack of public space for today’s Detroit residents .
This lack of public space affects the community’s ability to interact with neighbors, establish a cohesive identity and rebuild neighborhoods. This vital, yet unmet, need in Detroit has motivated old and new residents to create public spaces right where they live. In fact, while a fraction of new public space activity is improving the city’s existing park system, much of the permanent and
The Lincoln Street Sculpture Garden is one of 127 nationwide finalists competing for $15 million in creative placemaking funding.
temporary public space is being created on vacant land that range in both size (from 4,000 to 27,000 square feet) and former land use (residential, commercial and industrial). Through the following case studies, we support that communities’ desire for new, relevant public space is worthy of the landscape architecture profession’s efforts to support them.
Cultivating Public Space: Context and Terminology
The cultivation of public space is not a new phenomenon in Detroit, but has often fallen under the descriptive umbrella of urban agriculture and productive community gardens. A visit to the newly launched urban agriculture and open space website detroitagriculture.net by the respected environment non-profit, the Greening of Detroit,
on the public realm.
Detroit Zen Garden: Adding peace within a neighborhood context
On the quiet corner of Casmere and Mitchel Street in Hamtramck, a manicured Zen garden occupies a former 40 x 100 square foot residential lot. The well kept wooden fence and gate neatly frames the intimate, yet publicly accessible space. Views into the garden are visible from the street, while an open gate invites individuals seeking solace and peace. Stone and brick paths meander through gravel beds accented by conifer shrubs. The garden enhances the neighborhood by accepting the view of the surrounding homes and warehouse with grace and providing a space for peaceful contemplation.
The garden was initiated by the Detroit Zen Center, a 22 year old residential community of monks and students who practice daily meditation and work to sustainably improve their neighborhood. In 2007, the center’s efforts were recognized by the United Way with a $127,000 grant to create the "Green Neighborhood Project". Through this grant, the center was able to engage friends and volunteers to renovate its facilities for energy efficiency, add a green roof and transform the abandoned lot across the street into the Zen garden seen today. As the center continues to renovate neighborhood lots into green space, the Zen garden serves as a high quality example of community initiated public space.
North End Sensory Garden: Turning the challenge of impermanence into opportunity
An example of community driven public space that I personally worked on was the North End Sensory Garden, installed last fall for the Detroit Design Festival. Working with the North End Art Studios as the client, designer Marcia Biernat and I developed two adjacent parcels into an urban sensory garden. The universally accessible garden, located adjacent to the art studio, features two sections that invite visitors of all ages and ability to connect with the natural environment. The first section is comprised of two raised wooden planters that highlight native plants that can be touched, seen and smelled. From there, wide gravel paths lead to a landscape art installation that uses the strategic mowing of existing grass to form a flexible framework of paths and gathering spaces for outdoor activities.
In the process of communities reorienting their neighborhoods, a common challenge of creating quality public space from vacant land is undefined permanence due to land ownership. So, while the Studios were committed to expanding its positive influence in the North End community through arts engagement programs, the three year old artist collective did not own their building and depended on a year-to-year lease for their studio space. Additionally, the adjacent vacant lots were owned by a separate land owner. Thus, the possibility of the properties being sold was a reality.
Our role as designers became deeply collaborative and involved educating the client on the design process, managing expectations and setting parameters. Working through the undefined permanence of beautified public space,
the opportunity to create an imaginative work using the concept of “temporary intervention” emerged. For example, the wooden planters were constructed using screws instead of nails to facilitate deconstruction in the event of the garden’s relocation. Additionally, the landscape art installation could simply be mown over and become an empty lot once again.
As a result of our concept, the adjacent land owners gave their permission for the garden to be built on their property, under the assurance that the garden’s construction could be easily moved in the future and the purchase of liability insurance by the Studios. The project then received a seed grant from the Detroit Design Festival and, through a partnership with Vanguard Community Development Corporation, the garden was constructed by AmeriCorps NextStep members. Many of these members were also North End residents and demonstrated notable pride in building a garden in their neighborhood. As designers working with a community based non-profit, we were grateful to contribute our professional skills to a project that not only shaped quality public space, but also engaged the community in its creation.
Lincoln Street Sculpture Garden: An evolving community collaboration
On any given Saturday, hundreds of city residents drop off their recyclables at Recycle Here!, a neighborhood recycling center located in Detroit’s New Center area. In the communal atmosphere 7
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Elements of the Detroit Zen Center garden provide respite in the fragmented urban fabric, above.
of rock music and painted murals, visitors are welcomed to visit the Lincoln Street Sculpture Garden.
In 2011, Recycle Here! founder, Matthew Naimi opened the space behind the recycling center’s facilities to the public. His open attitude toward artists enlivening the space became the breeding ground for the Lincoln Street Sculpture Garden. Soon after, public artwork and regular events at the half-acre space attracted pro-Detroit newcomers from nearby neighborhoods and the idea for an official community art space gained traction with supporters from local non-profits, Detroit Synergy and Midtown, Inc. This collective collaboration led to initial grant funding from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and in May of 2011, the first phase of the Lincoln Street Sculpture Garden was born.
Also known as the Ghetto Louvre, the former industrial lot-turned-public art gallery features the materiality of urban grit to its finest effect. The brick walls of Recycle Here’s facilities, which make up one edge of the garden, feature a collection of vivid murals by the local Detroit artists who helped initiate the space. At another edge of the garden, artwork animates an adjacent rail road underpass. Reclaimed materials play a big part of this site, including carefully positioned concrete blocks that serve as benches and a path of bricks that lead to a bird nest sculpture made of rebar. Planting beds, which contain bits of flower-seeded paper from a Belle Isle park art installation, wait for spring weather to bloom.
The relevancy of this rough and uniquely Detroit space relates to the need of a new community to gather and develop its neighborhood identity. It also serves as a connection point between Wayne State University and other green spaces, such as the Woodbridge Community Garden, New Center Park, Anna Scripps Park and Spirit of Hope. Of all the projects mentioned here, the Lincoln Street Sculpture Garden has the highest potential for influence because of its size, the leadership and volume of participation from its community, the backing by several influential organizations and, most importantly, its social relevance within the community.
This art-based public space is currently a nationwide finalist for the Arts in America Grant alongside better known institutions, the Detroit Institute of Arts and Mary Grove College. The unprecedented private-public collaboration will direct $15 million in creative placemaking dollars on projects chosen for their potential to have a transformative impact on community vibrancy, a clear indication that not only is there a need for community driven public space, but also the recognition to support its growth.
The Big Picture
While diverse and engaging, the growth of community driven public space may not strike a chord when the big picture in Detroit is obscured by broad economic and social issues. Yet the fine scale growth of community driven public space should be given higher consideration in the urban
revitalization conversation because of common characteristics that directly addresses several issues that plague ailing cities by: beautifying the neighborhood, creating value from vacant land, discerning an engaging vision that supports community needs and creating a sense of inclusivity that promotes dialogue and interaction among strangers. This last part of dialogue and interaction, be it toward rebuilding the social fabric of a fragmented neighborhood or building a new community among new residents, is the persistent seed to making communities more livable and urban revitalization possible.
With competitive funding sources channeled towards the most relevant projects, the authentic culture of grassroots public space distinguishes these spaces as deserving and impactive.
Landscape architects who can respond to the trend of community driven public space will position our profession as creative leaders in shaping the spaces that support the culture of city revitalization.
For more information on this subject contact Fai Foen at faifoen@gmail.com Images: Fai Foen
integrating accommodation for biking brings
New challenges for landscape architecture
by Michael Arvidson, Affiliate ASLA
How many of us imagined when we wheeled the Schwinn out of the family garage as kids that one day we’d be wheeling it to work? Yet a new 2012 benchmarking report by the Alliance for Biking and Walking reports that bicycle commuters increased by 57% between 2000 – 2009. That’s just one sign of the trend that has Americans increasingly turning to cycling for pleasure and profit as they promote sustainability in their lives and their communities.
Despite the trend to two-wheeling across our society, many landscape architects have not had an opportunity to confront the challenges involved in effectively integrating accommodation for bicycling in our cities, universities and corporate campuses. Others are not fully aware of the positive factors.
“Although I’ve had limited experience with bike shelters, I believe this issue is only going to grow exponentially as more people become interested in a healthier lifestyle and begin to view nonmotorized transportation as a means to achieve that,” said Christy Summers, LLA, ASLA, LEED AP and principal at Beckett & Raeder, Inc. in Ann Arbor.
There are impressive economic benefits too. Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just seven jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects, says the Alliance’s study.
At Michigan State University, which counts 20,000 bicyclists on its campus, Tim Potter is manager of MSU Bikes: “We’ve seen an explosion on our campus with more and more demand. We have thousands of open racks, but no shelters. We’re exploring the possibility of moving in the
Located at a university in Michigan, these shelters offer graceful lines and a small footprint.
direction of covered bike parking.” He said surveys show that not having sheltered, secure, weatherproof accommodation for the end of a bicycle trip is a deterrent for faculty, staff and students. However, he added, cost is a major concern. He thinks one answer could be sheltered bike parking on a paid membership basis. After all, it works for cars on campus.
• Provide cover from the elements, which fosters better participation.
• Enhance security with fully enclosed, lockable shelters, including optional key swipes and solar lighting.
• Integrate bike racks to create a complete solution.
• Create well-marked designated areas that signal a commitment to alternative transportation.
• Realize a relatively inexpensive infrastructure outlay that produces long-term solutions.
There are six major areas landscape architects need to consider in designing an effective strategy for bicycle accommodation:
Space Issues
“Finding space for parking is always challenging in urban areas, whether it’s covered or not,” said
Christy Summers. “When there is no designated parking area, people chain their bikes to other objects.” Shelters available today in open, attached or fully enclosed styles can help alleviate that with vertical, stacked or stretch racks that make the most of a shelter’s space.
In areas where racks are already installed, covered shelters can be installed to accommodate this and make the existing space work more effectively.
Security
More than 1.5 million bikes are stolen each year, and many more are not reported, according to the National Bike Registry. Shelter models that are fully enclosed with lockable, keyed gates or card-swipe access can minimize the possibility of theft and encourage biking.
Architectural Aesthetics
Communities today want the elements of their streetscapes – or even a single shelter – to make a unique visual statement about their commitment to the residents, to the environment and to alternative transportation. The styles available today, often European-inspired, offer a wide range of looks that run from traditional to contemporary to avant-garde and further to completely custom.
Materials Advances
Translucent multiwall polycarbonate roofing, often used in architectural daylighting applications, is becoming a preferred alternative in bike shelters. This shatterproof material, available in a wide selection of colors and thicknesses, maintains diffuse natural light as it minimizes glare and heat gain. It curves easily, creating unusual shapes and angles for visual accents.
Cost Concerns
Regardless of your budget and your goals with bike shelters, an experienced and creative manufacturer can help you keep costs down by making recommendations in styles, materials and engineering techniques you may not even be aware of.
Vendor Factors
Not all shelter manufacturers offer equal expertise. It’s critical to select one familiar with the accepted parking and planning guidelines issued by the Association of Pedestrian and Biking Professionals. Consider one with engineering capabilities that can provide a structural analysis for wind and snow loads, one that can recommend to you what kind of footings and surface you need.
Creating a successful, long-term bike accommodation program, one that encourages and supports this rapidly growing mode of alternative transportation, requires the close collaboration of the landscape architect, the client and the manufacturer.
Michael Arvidson is Executive Vice President of Duo-Gard Industries Inc. in Canton, Michigan and is an Affiliate ASLA member. Michael is a consultant to landscape architects, municipalities and transit authorities across the country.
Images: DuoGard Industries, Inc.
dr. Joanne Westphal, faSla
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
by Doug Boyer, Student ASLA
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to a modest, blue collar family, Joanne Westphal’s connection to nature began early in her life due to her family’s usage of the outstanding parks of Milwaukee County Park System. These parks represented a natural refuge to the highly urbanized environment, of the city, and a deep appreciation for botanical gardens and natural areas that were a part of all the parks in Milwaukee resulted. Girl Scouts reinforced this appreciation of nature, and yearly trips to summer camp cemented her interest in biology and forest ecology. This rich, naturalistic way of growing up formed the basis of Joanne’s fundamental love of the outdoors and ultimately formed the foundation of her lifelong pursuit to foster public awareness and education of natural processes.
Joanne first studied at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, in Conservation/Natural Resource Management before switching to Biology, due to her interest and strength in science. She graduated summa cum laude, as the first child in her family to attend college, and went on to graduate study under Gordon Chesters at the University of Wisconsin’s Water Research Center. In 1977, she graduated from UW with a PhD in soils and land use planning—the first woman soil scientist to graduate from the department. In the process of depositing her dissertation in Bascom Hall where the registrar’s office was located, she cut through the basement of Agriculture Hall where the Landscape Architecture program was housed on-campus, and she become immediately enamoured with the work being done by students in the department. On the return trip from Bascom Hall, she stopped and talked to Darrell Morrison, who was then the head of the Landscape Architecture Department, about graduate studies in design. She matriculated with the program in Fall of 1977, completing her course work by June of 1979 and her thesis in 1983 while teaching Park Planning and Design at Texas A&M University. In 1987, she was hired at Michigan State University by Tony Bauer, FASLA (also a Wisconsin native) on the exacting criteria of her ability to polka, drink beer, play sheepshead (a German card game, popular in the Milwaukee area), and most importantly, teach park planning and design. She also taught computer applications and Regional Design and Planning in the early years.
By 1990, frustration with colleagues at the MSU medical schools caused Joanne to return to school; this time, her field of study was medicine. Thus began her life’s magnum opus, to bridge design with medicine, and to ultimately better understand patients and their needs specifically in an outdoor environment. Her justification was (and continues to be) that “diagnosis of a patient’s illness is more of an art form than a science, while the fundamentals of a good design is not simply art, but is instead firmly rooted in a specific set of scientific principles.” This concept maintains her interest in evidence-based design. Her feelings are that a landscape architect’s education must emphasize the use and importance of evidencebased design throughout the design process, as well as the use of postoccupancy evaluations to measure whether the “intended outcomes” are achieved (and to what degree).
Joanne Westphal began her life surrounded by nature, and as a result developed a clear, lifelong love and respect for all benefits the outdoors can provide society. Always striving for her personal best, Joanne has surely over-achieved in every endeavor she has set out to master. Not in the name of self-promotion or success, but rather in the effort to further the reach of landscape architecture; beyond an art and into a science.
Doug Boyer is a landscape architecture student at Michigan State University. Emaley Baxter, Student ASLA contributed to this article.
Image courtesy of Joanne Westphal, FASLA
President Christy Summers, ASLA
President Elect
Mark Robinson, ASLA
Immediate Past President
SuLin Kotowicz, ASLA
Trustee
Vanessa Warren, ASLA
VP of Government Affairs
Bill Sanders, ASLA
VP of Marketing , Craig Hondorp, ASLA
VP of Education
Scot Lautzenheiser, ASLA
Treasurer Monica Schwanitz, ASLA
Secretary John McCann, ASLA
Member at Large
Clare Jagenow, ASLA
Associate at Large
Joane Slusky, Associate ASLA
Executive Director
Derek Dalling
U of M Student Representatives
Caroline Bergelin, Student ASLA
Kat Superfisky, Student ASLA
MSU Student Representatives
Doug Boyer, Student ASLA
Kris Hall, Student ASLA
SITES:
Editor and Layout
Clare Jagenow, ASLA clare.jagenow@jjr-us.com
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caroline bergelin, Student ASLA
Brooklyn, New York
University of Michigan
MLA Candidate
email: cgberg@umich.edu
As a young child growing up in New York City, I never realized that my lack of access to nature was unusual. I spent my summers in West Virginia and was profoundly influenced by my time there. My summers spent immersed in nature allowed me to realize how important (and fun!) this was for me. Now with climate change and global development affecting our natural spaces, I felt it was my duty as a creative person to make changes as a landscape architect.
I strive to design ecologically-minded landscapes. This has been influenced by my current education at UofM, where we design with ecology in mind. Even if a client does not specify this, it is our duty, as educated designers, to provide environmentally-sensitive solutions that work for the client and are enjoyable for the public.
This past summer I worked with Professor Joan Nassauer on a research project funded by UofM’s Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute. I collected data on highly vacant neighborhoods in metro-Detroit to better understand the dynamics associated with neighborhood vacancy. We assessed landscape-based variables to understand social capital through landscape care.
Kris hall, Student ASLA
Akron, Ohio
Michigan State University
BLA Candidate
email: hallkri6@msu.edu
My favorite part of working in landscape architecture is the interaction with people. I think that being able to create a place for a person that generates an emotional response is as good as it gets for a designer.
I get my inspiration from minimalist art and the natural world. Minimalist art embodies the beauty of simplicity. I believe that the most successful designs are those that are conceptually simple. I do not want simplicity to be confused with lame or weak, however, because the devil is in the details. The natural world contains so many patterns, shapes, and color palettes that are selected by Mother Nature based on their success. Since we as landscape architects are supposed to build the environment for humans to live and interact in/with, it only makes sense that we mimic what nature has already proven to be successful.
What I love about Michigan is that it has such a rich natural environment. From the dunes of the western coast, to the pine forests of the entire state, to the fall color of the Upper Peninsula, (just to mention a few), there are nationally recognized natural wonders all over this state. I would want to stay here following graduation not only because of the natural wonders, but because of the immense potential and great opportunity that there is in Detroit to rebuild a great city.
